Superfónicos -

Superfónicos

Superfónicos is Colombian Funk. Better yet, it is Caríbe Soul…fed by the Indigenous and African roots of the band’s Colombian heritage, telegraphing a politics of peace and unity from the stage to your ears. They only ask that you dance toward a place in your mind beyond struggle and strife. Superfónicos was formed when bassist Nico Sanchez and guitarist Erick Bohorquez began discussions about creating a group with a foundation in Afro-Colombian rhythms. They soon teamed up with guitarist Andres Villegas and percussionist Daniel Sanchez and started rehearsing together during time away from their other bands. That core group developed the band’s unique sound, laying the foundation of what was to come. In 2016, gaitero and vocalist Jaime Ospina—who has recorded with the likes of Pacha Massive—relocated from Colombia to Austin, where he met and instantly connected with the group. It was also during this time that the band met with famed local producer and Grammy winner Adrian Quesada at Level One Sound. Their recording session resulted in a sound that not only encapsulates a moment in time but helped to define Superfónicos as a collective. It is a musical mestizo that is ever-changing but deeply rooted in Caribbean flavors.

Superfónicos is making some major moves this fall! The band is keeping busy with an EP release (Suelta coming October 5) right before their debut at ACL fest on October 14. What we love most is their constant message of unity, peace, and love… and the desire to get the world dancing.

We caught up with guitarist Erick Bohorquez to learn more about Superfónicos.

We’re so excited to feature you guys as our Artist of the Month. How did you first get involved with AMF?

EB: Our first involvement with AMF was back in 2017 at the 3TEN ACL Live show for Wine Down. The following year we played a MOOD: Live Series session and the rest is history.

How did you guys meet? What made you want to start playing music together?

A few of us had been playing music together for many years prior to forming Superfónicos. I think the one thing we all have in common is our pride of Colombian culture and heritage. The core of the group is Colombian and the idea was to create a band with Afro-Colombian rhythms.

Where did the band name come from?

I think it literally took us over a year and a half to come up with the name. What we wanted was a name to identify with our sound. What came out of that was (Super)fónicos. Fónicos translates to sound in English.

What do you think is the best thing about the Austin Music Community?

The level of talent in this town is inspiring. We’ve also been fortunate enough to be surrounded and supported by so many well-established acts like Grupo Fantasma, and Hard Proof.

Tell us about the coolest show you’ve ever played.

That’s a tough one! One show that really stood out was Blues on the Green. It was super cool playing in front of such a massive crowd. We also recently played Emo’s for Beto O’ Rourke’s campaign. The energy from the crowd was amazing.

We know the band is playing ACL, which means artist wristbands. Who are you going to try and meet backstage?

If I have any luck I’d like to chat with Residente, Paul McCartney, David Byrne, and Metallica.

If the band could collaborate with any artist (living or dead), who would it be?

I’m speaking personally but I’d love to collaborate with Carlos Alomar (guitarist for David Bowie, James Brown).

We’re excited to hear the new EP! Tell us a little about the recording process.

We’re excited about the release ourselves. When it comes to recording we prefer cutting to tape. We love the raw sound of everyone playing in one room all together.

Last, but not least! – How can we support your band? Where can we buy your music, and where can we see you next?

Great question. Our debut EP release ‘Suelta’ will be available on just about every digital platform out there starting on October 5th.